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MS Excel Insert Tab With Screen Readers

by | Dec 22, 2023 | MS Excel | 0 comments

Overview

The “Insert” tab in Excel provides various functions for inserting different elements into your worksheet. Here are some of the key functions available in the “Insert” tab:

  1. Tables: Allows you to insert a structured table into your worksheet, which provides a range of features for managing and analyzing data.
  2. PivotTable: Enables you to create a PivotTable, which is a powerful tool for summarizing, analyzing, and presenting large amounts of data.
  3. Charts: Provides options for inserting different types of charts, such as column, line, pie, bar, and more, to visualize and analyze your data.
  4. Sparklines: Allows you to insert small, compact charts that fit within a single cell. Sparklines are useful for providing visual representations of data trends.
  5. Filter: Provides options for applying filters to your data range, allowing you to easily analyze and manipulate specific subsets of your data.
  6. Hyperlink: Enables you to insert hyperlinks to external websites, files, or other locations within your workbook for easy navigation.
  7. Text: Provides options for inserting text boxes, headers, or footers to add additional information or labels to your worksheet.
  8. Symbols: Allows you to insert symbols, special characters, or equations into your worksheet.
  9. Illustrations: Provides options for inserting various types of visual elements, such as pictures, shapes, SmartArt graphics, and screenshots.
  10. Links: Allows you to insert links to external data sources or other worksheets within your workbook.
  11. Comments: Enables you to insert comments or notes to provide additional context or information about specific cells or ranges.

These are just a few examples of the functions available in the “Insert” tab in Excel. The specific options and functionalities may vary depending on your Excel version and configuration.

Table Group

To access the “Table” group in the “Insert” tab of Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet where you want to insert a table.
  2. Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to move focus to the ribbon area.
  3. Navigate to the “Insert” tab. Depending on your current location, you may need to navigate through the tabs until you reach the “Insert” tab.
  4. Once you are on the “Insert” tab, navigate to the “Tables” group. This group contains options related to tables in Excel.

Table

  1. Follow the steps mentioned above to reach the table option in the table group.
  2. Within the “Tables” group, you’ll find the option to insert a table. It may be labeled as “Table” or “Insert Table.”
  3. Activate the table insertion option. This can typically be done by pressing the Enter key or using your screen reader’s activation command on the button or option.
    • If the button doesn’t have an activation key, you can try pressing the Spacebar or using your screen reader’s activation command to activate the button.
    • If the button is represented by an icon, your screen reader may announce the button’s label when you navigate to it, allowing you to press the associated key command for activation.
  4. Excel will prompt you to select the range of data for the table. Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to select the desired range, and then confirm the selection.
  5. Once confirmed, Excel will convert the selected range into a table, applying formatting and providing additional functionalities for managing and analyzing the data.

Pivot Table

  1. Creating the Pivot Table:
    • Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet that contains the data you want to use for the pivot table.
    • Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to select a cell within the data range.
    • Press the “Ctrl+A” keyboard shortcut to select the entire data range. Alternatively, you can use your screen reader’s selection commands to select the data range.
    • Once the data range is selected, press the “Alt+N” keyboard shortcut to move focus to the “Insert” tab in the ribbon.
    • Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to move to the “Tables” group within the “Insert” tab.
    • Within the “Tables” group, locate and activate the “PivotTable” button. This button is typically labeled as “PivotTable” or “Insert PivotTable.”
    • Excel will open the “Create PivotTable” dialog box.
    • In the “Create PivotTable” dialog box, verify that the correct range is selected in the “Select a table or range” field. The selected range should correspond to the data you want to use for the pivot table.
    • Choose the location where you want to place the pivot table. You can select options such as “New Worksheet” or “Existing Worksheet” and specify the cell where the pivot table should be inserted.
    • Once you have made your selections, press the “Enter” key or use your screen reader’s activation command on the “OK” button to create the pivot table.
    • Excel will generate the pivot table based on the selected data range and display it in the specified location.
  2. Inserting fields in a pivot table from the fields pane:
    • Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet that contains the pivot table.
    • Locate the “Fields” pane. The Fields pane typically appears on the right side of the Excel window or at the bottom, and it displays the available fields for the pivot table. Use F6 to locate fields pane.
    • Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to move focus to the “Fields” pane.
    • Within the “Fields” pane, navigate to the field(s) that you want to insert into the pivot table.
    • Select the field(s) by activating them. This can typically be done by pressing the Enter key or using your screen reader’s activation command on the field.
      • If the field is represented by a checkbox, you may need to activate the checkbox to select the field.
      • If the field is represented by an icon or label, your screen reader may announce the field’s label when you navigate to it, allowing you to press the associated key command for activation.
    • Once the field(s) are selected, use Shift+ F6 to move back to the sheet where the pivot table is to be created.
    • After dropping the field(s) into the pivot table, Excel will update the pivot table to reflect the changes, aggregating and displaying the data based on the inserted fields.
  3. Navigating the Pivot Table:
    • Use standard screen reader navigation commands like arrow keys, tab, and Shift + Tab to move around the cells of the pivot table.
    • Note that pivot tables have specific navigation shortcuts. Press “Alt + Down Arrow” to move to the next field or item, and “Alt + Up Arrow” to move to the previous field or item.
  4. Expand and Collapse Items:
    • To expand or collapse items in a pivot table, focus on the item you want to expand or collapse using arrow keys.
    • Use “Right Arrow” to expand the selected item and “Left Arrow” to collapse it.

Illustrations Group

To access the “Illustrations” group in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet where you want to insert an illustration.
  2. Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to move focus to the ribbon area.
  3. Navigate to the “Insert” tab. Depending on your current location, you may need to navigate through the tabs until you reach the “Insert” tab.
  4. Once you are on the “Insert” tab, navigate to the “Illustrations” group. This group contains options related to inserting visual elements such as pictures, shapes, SmartArt graphics, and screenshots.
  5. Within the “Illustrations” group, you’ll find various options for inserting different types of illustrations. Some of the commonly available options include:
    • Pictures: Allows you to insert an image or picture from your computer or other locations.
    • Shapes: Provides options for inserting different shapes, such as rectangles, circles, arrows, and more.
    • SmartArt: Enables you to insert pre-designed diagrams and flowcharts to represent information visually.
    • Screenshot: Allows you to capture and insert a screenshot of a specific window or portion of the screen.
    • Online Pictures: Lets you search and insert images from online sources, such as Bing image search or OneDrive.
  6. Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to select the desired option within the “Illustrations” group.
  7. Activate the selected option. This can typically be done by pressing the Enter key or using your screen reader’s activation command on the button or option.
    • If the button doesn’t have an activation key, you can try pressing the Spacebar or using your screen reader’s activation command to activate the button.
    • If the button is represented by an icon, your screen reader may announce the button’s label when you navigate to it, allowing you to press the associated key command for activation.
  8. Follow the prompts or dialog boxes that appear to complete the insertion of the chosen illustration.

Pictures

To insert pictures in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these general steps:

  1. Launch Excel and open the workbook where you want to insert the picture.
  2. Navigate to the worksheet where you want to place the picture using the screen reader’s navigation commands.
  3. Once you’re on the desired cell, press the appropriate key combination to initiate the picture insertion process. In most versions of Excel, you can use the Alt+N+P keys.
  4. A dialog box will appear, prompting you to select the picture file. Use the screen reader’s navigation commands to locate the file on your computer.
  5. Once you’ve located the file, select it and press Enter.
  6. The “Insert Picture” dialog box will appear, allowing you to adjust the picture settings. Use the screen reader’s navigation commands to explore the available options, such as picture size, alignment, and placement.
  7. Configure the desired picture settings, and once you’re satisfied, press Enter to insert the picture into the selected cell.

Smart Art Graphics

In Excel, it is not possible to directly insert SmartArt graphics like in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. However, you can create similar visual representations using shapes and text boxes. Here’s a general guide on how to create a visual representation using shapes in Excel using a screen reader:

  1. Launch Excel and open the workbook where you want to create the visual representation.
  2. Navigate to the worksheet where you want to place the shapes using the screen reader’s navigation commands.
  3. Once you’re on the desired cell, press the appropriate key combination to insert a shape. In most versions of Excel, you can use the Alt+N+SH keys.
  4. A list of available shapes will appear. Use the screen reader’s navigation commands to select the desired shape.
  5. Once you’ve selected the shape, press Enter to insert it into the cell.
  6. The shape will appear in the cell. You can resize and reposition it using the arrow keys and other formatting options available in Excel.
  7. To add text to the shape, select the shape and press the appropriate key combination to edit the text within the shape. In most versions of Excel, you can use the F2 key to enter edit mode for the shape’s text.
  8. Type the desired text using the screen reader’s typing functionality.
  9. Press Enter to confirm the text.
  10. Repeat steps 3-9 to create additional shapes and add text to represent your visual representation.

Remember that creating complex visual representations in Excel using shapes can be challenging without the visual feedback provided by the application. It’s recommended to experiment and test with different shapes and layouts to achieve the desired result.

Charts Group

To access the “Charts” group in the “Insert” tab of Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet where you want to insert a chart.
  2. Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to move focus to the ribbon area.
  3. Navigate to the “Insert” tab. Depending on your current location, you may need to navigate through the tabs until you reach the “Insert” tab.
  4. Once you are on the “Insert” tab, navigate to the “Charts” group. This group contains options for inserting different types of charts.
  5. Within the “Charts” group, you’ll find various options for inserting different types of charts, such as column, line, pie, bar, and more.
  6. Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to select the desired chart type within the “Charts” group.
  7. Activate the selected chart type. This can typically be done by pressing the Enter key or using your screen reader’s activation command on the button or option.
  8. Excel will open a dialog box or prompt asking you to specify the data range for the chart.
  9. Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to select the desired data range for the chart. You can navigate to the appropriate cells or select a pre-defined range.
  10. Confirm the data range selection and proceed. This can typically be done by pressing the Enter key or using your screen reader’s activation command on the “OK” or “Next” button.
  11. Excel will insert the selected chart type using the specified data range into the worksheet.

Pivot Charts

To create a pivot chart in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet that contains the pivot table or the data you want to create a pivot chart from.
  2. Ensure that the pivot table is selected or that the data range for the pivot chart is selected.
  3. Press the “Alt+J” keyboard shortcut to move focus to the “PivotTable Tools” contextual tab in the ribbon.
  4. Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to move focus to the “Analyze” tab within the “PivotTable Tools” contextual tab.
  5. Within the “Analyze” tab, locate the “PivotChart” button. This button is typically labeled as “PivotChart” or “Insert PivotChart.”
  6. Activate the “PivotChart” button. This will open the “Insert Chart” dialog box.
  7. In the “Insert Chart” dialog box, select the desired chart type from the available options. You can navigate through the chart types using your screen reader’s navigation commands and activate the desired option.
  8. Once you have selected the chart type, press the Enter key or use your screen reader’s activation command on the “OK” button to create the pivot chart.
  9. Excel will generate the pivot chart based on the selected chart type and display it in a new chart sheet.
  10. Use your screen reader’s navigation commands to explore and interact with the pivot chart, including navigating the chart elements, adjusting chart settings, and interpreting the visual representation of the data.

Links Group

To create a hyperlink in Excel using the Insert tab with a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet where you want to insert the hyperlink.
  2. Press the Alt key on your keyboard to activate the ribbon menu.
  3. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Insert” tab.
  4. Press the Enter key to select the “Insert” tab.
  5. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Links” group.
  6. Press the right arrow key to expand the “Links” group if it’s collapsed.
  7. Use the arrow keys to select the type of hyperlink you want to insert, such as “Hyperlink” or “Picture.”
  8. Press the Enter key to confirm your selection and open the hyperlink dialog box.
  9. In the hyperlink dialog box, enter the URL or file path you want to link to in the appropriate field.
  10. Press the Tab key to move to the “Text to display” field.
  11. Enter the text you want to display for the hyperlink.
  12. Press the Tab key to move to other optional settings, such as the “ScreenTip” or “Target” fields, and provide the necessary information.
  13. Once you have entered all the required information, press the Enter key to create the hyperlink.
  14. Use the Tab key to navigate to the “OK” button and press Enter to close the hyperlink dialog box.

By following these steps, you should be able to create a hyperlink in Excel’s Insert tab using a screen reader.

To access the hyperlink, open the context menu and select “Open Hyperlink.”

Text Group

Text Box

To add a text box in Excel using the Insert tab with a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet where you want to insert the text box.
  2. Press the Alt key on your keyboard to activate the ribbon menu.
  3. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Insert” tab.
  4. Press the Enter key to select the “Insert” tab.
  5. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Text” group.
  6. Press the right arrow key to expand the “Text” group if it’s collapsed.
  7. Use the arrow keys to select the “Text Box” option.
  8. Press the Enter key to insert a text box.
  9. The focus will automatically be placed inside the text box.
  10. Use the screen reader commands to enter and edit the desired text within the text box.
  11. Use the arrow keys to position and resize the text box as needed.

By following these steps, you should be able to add a text box in Excel’s Insert tab using a screen reader.

Headers & Footers

To insert headers and footers in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet where you want to insert headers and footers.
  2. Press the Alt key on your keyboard to activate the ribbon menu.
  3. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Insert” tab.
  4. Press the Enter key to select the “Insert” tab.
  5. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “Text” group.
  6. Press the right arrow key to expand the “Text” group if it’s collapsed.
  7. Use the arrow keys to select the “Header & Footer” option.
  8. Press the Enter key to open the header and footer section.
  9. The focus will automatically be placed in the “Center header” field.
  10. Use the screen reader commands to enter the desired text for the header.
  11. Press the Tab key to move to the “Left header” and “Right header” fields, and enter the text as needed.
  12. Press the Tab key again to move to the “Center footer” field.
  13. Use the screen reader commands to enter the desired text for the footer.
  14. Press the Tab key to move to the “Left footer” and “Right footer” fields, and enter the text as needed.
  15. Use the Tab key to navigate through other available options, such as “Different Odd & Even Pages” or “Scale with Document.”
  16. Once you have entered the desired headers and footers, press the Enter key to confirm and apply them.
  17. Press the Esc key to exit the header and footer section and return to the worksheet view.

By following these steps, you should be able to insert headers and footers in Excel using a screen reader. However, it’s advised to set headers and footers from the page layout tab instead of the insert tab, as footers are not accessible in the insert tab.

Comments

To insert comments in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the worksheet where you want to insert a comment.
  2. Use the arrow keys to select the cell where you want to add the comment.
  3. Press the Shift+F2 key combination. This will activate the cell comment editing mode.
  4. The screen reader should read the existing comment or announce that the cell doesn’t have a comment yet.
  5. Use the screen reader commands to enter the desired text for the comment.
  6. Press the Esc key to exit the comment editing mode and save the comment.
  7. The comment should now be visible in the selected cell as a small red triangle in the top right corner.
  8. To read the comment again in the future, you can select the cell and press the Shift+F2 key combination to activate the comment editing mode and hear the comment’s content.

By following these steps, you should be able to insert comments in Excel using a screen reader.

Shortcut Key Commands

Insert Objects

  • Insert Chart: To insert a chart, select a cell and press Alt, N, C.
  • Insert Picture: To insert a picture from a file, press Alt, N, P.
  • Insert Shapes: To insert a shape, press Alt, N, S. Then, select the desired shape from the gallery.
  • Insert Text Box: To insert a text box, press Alt, N, X.

Insert Tables

  • Insert PivotTable: To insert a PivotTable, select a cell in your data range and press Alt, N, V.
  • Insert Table: To convert a range into a table, select the range and press Ctrl + T.

Insert Hyperlinks

  • Insert Hyperlink: To insert a hyperlink, select the cell or text where you want to add the link and press Ctrl + K.

Insert Sparklines

  • Insert Sparkline: To insert a sparkline (miniature chart), select a cell where you want to add it and press Alt, N, S.

Other Functions

  • Insert Function: To insert a function, select a cell and press Shift + F3. This opens the Insert Function dialog.
  • Insert Symbol: To insert a symbol or special character, select a cell, press Alt, N, U, and then choose the symbol from the Symbol dialog.